Interstate 220 (Louisiana)

Route description

I-220 begins at an interchange with I-20 and LA 3132 near Shreveport Regional Airport in western Shreveport. From here, the highway heads northeast toward and crosses Cross Lake. The highway continues northeast through northern Shreveport, where it has a currently partially opened interchange with I-49. At an interchange with U.S. Route 71 (US 71), the highway curves east before crossing the Red River near Shreveport Downtown Airport. East of the Red River, I-220 enters Bossier City and continues east through its northern areas before curving south at Shed Road. The highway ends at an interchange with I-20 and LA 1267 at the southwest corner of the Louisiana Downs racetrack.

History

Together, I-220 and LA 3132 were both planned together as a full loop of Shreveport. However, because of Barksdale Air Force Base being in the way of the proposed route of the southeast quadrant, the two highways were both split into their respective designations and LA 3132 being truncated.

The first segment of I-220 was completed and signed in 1971, and the entire highway was completed in 1991.

Future

There have been proposals to extend the highway eastward over the Red River and then northward to complete the loop by reaching I-20, but Barksdale Air Force Base is in the way of a direct route to join up with the beginning of I-220. Instead, LaDOT decided to build a connector road to connect the I-20/I-220 interchange in Bossier City to the Barksdale Air Force Base. The connector was seen as a vital way to enter the base without the need to cross railroad tracks, as all the other gates onto the base are intersected by a grade crossing. It was also seen as way to accommodate the growing population in the region. A ground-breaking ceremony for the project was held on May 15, 2019; the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the completion of the $80.5 million project was held on February 8, 2023. Work on the new Barksdale gate was set to begin immediately afterwards with its completion expected by December 2025. It will be designated as LA 1267.

The I-220 routing is one of five options currently in contention for closing the gap in I-49 in Shreveport. Four of these options involve the construction of a new alignment extending from the existing I-49/I-20 interchange to the I-49/I-220 interchange. This direct connection, known as the Inner-City Connector, is controversial due to its path being projected through a residential neighborhood, which would necessitate the displacement of many of its residents. The fifth option involves routing through traffic via the existing LA 3132 and I-220 alignments after necessary improvements to those highways are carried out.

Exit list

References

References

1. Staff. (October 31, 2002). "Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways as of October 31, 2002". [[Federal Highway Administration]].
2. "Overview Map of I-220".
3. Staff reports. "Work begins on I-220 extension onto Barksdale Air Force Base".
4. (15 May 2019). "Groundbreaking ceremony held for I-20/I-220 BAFB Interchange". www.ksla.com.
5. "Ribbon cutting held for long awaited I-20/I-220 Barksdale Air Force Base Interchange {{!}} Bossier Press-Tribune". bossierpress.com.
6. (October 18, 2023). "New route for I-49 connector aims to avoid Allendale". The Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate.
7. Warner, Doug. (February 25, 2015). "Filling the Gap: Will I-49 go through Shreveport, or around?". [[KSLA-TV]].
8. Warner, Doug. (March 21, 2015). "CC to DC: I-49 inner city connector "It's a no brainer"". KSLA-TV.
9. (2013). "I-49 Inner-City Connector–Shreveport".